Cyclist seeks donations for Womad ticket

He has travelled 10,000km on one bicycle saddle, so Guim Valls Teruel believes it's the best part of his special machine.

The 34-year-old from Barcelona, Spain, arrived in New Plymouth yesterday on his carbon fibre, solar-powered Wisper 905Se World Tourer electric bike.

He is on a world tour to promote 100 per cent sustainable transport. The tour began in June 2009 and has taken him from Beijing in China across South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Guim flew into Christchurch and made his way up the South Island to join the Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge on February 14, unofficially winning two stages on the seven-day race up the North Island.

"The only thing missed on the bike ride was I couldn't stop to take a picture," he said.

At a more sedate pace, he is coming back down the North Island and had planned to stop in for the Womad festival.

However, as he cannot afford the $220 ticket, he will set up outside the entrance with his bike and solicit donations for a ticket.

"If just 220 Kiwis give me a dollar, I can go in," he said cheekily.

After the weekend, Guim plans to travel back down to the South Island and spend a little while in Christchurch with friends, before flying to Australia and riding from either Brisbane to Sydney or to Melbourne.

He had planned to then head to Singapore and bike across India and Pakistan, but is running out of time to make it to his destination of London by the 2012 Olympic Games.

Guim said the problem was he stopped for quite some time in certain places.

He had planned to ride New Zealand in 15 days, and it would be nearly three months by the time he left.

"I've met really beautiful people. It's hard to say no."

Made in China for a United Kingdom brand, Guim's bike weighs 22kg and can reach around 20kmh by electric motor.

His journey can be followed on www.electricbicycleworldtour.com.

- © Fairfax NZ News